Cooling methods for electronic components

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus for conveying heat away from an electronic component. The apparatus may include, a conformable thermal interface sleeve adapted to embrace the electronic component. The apparatus may further include, a heat conducting wedge adapted to contact the conformable thermal interface sleeve and a thermal channel adapted to contact the heat conducting wedge. The apparatus may also include a manifold adapted to contact the thermal channel.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments described herein generally relate to cooling systems, andmore specifically, to cooling systems for electronic components.

BACKGROUND

The heat generated by electronic devices is proportional to thefrequency at which they are operated. High operating frequencies resultin high heat generation. In addition, the heat generated by electronicdevices may be concentrated in locations where electrical components areplaced in close proximity to one another. As one example, densely packedelectrical components may concentrate the heat that the electronicdevices generate. Modern electronic devices may include numerousclosely-spaced components operated at high frequencies. Accordingly,modern electronic devices may generate a substantial amount of localizedheat during operation.

SUMMARY

In one embodiment, a method is provided for conveying heat away from anelectronic component. The method may include positioning a conformablethermal interface sleeve embracing the electronic component in aninstalled position. The method may further include positioning a heatconducting wedge in contact with the conformable thermal interfacesleeve and positioning a thermal channel in contact with the heatconducting wedge. The method may also include positioning a manifold incontact with the thermal channel.

In another embodiment, an apparatus is provided for an apparatus forconveying heat away from an electronic component. The apparatus mayinclude a conformable thermal interface sleeve adapted to embrace theelectronic component. The apparatus may further include a heatconducting wedge adapted to contact the conformable thermal interfacesleeve and a thermal channel adapted to contact the heat conductingwedge. The apparatus may also include a manifold adapted to contact thethermal channel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of an electronic componentaccording to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2A shows a schematic representation of an electronic componentpositioned to be installed into a receptacle, according to oneembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2B shows a schematic representation of an electronic componentinstalled in the receptacle of FIG. 2A, according to one embodiment ofthe invention.

FIG. 3A is a side view of a cooling apparatus assembled, according toone embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3B is a top view of the cooling apparatus of FIG. 3A assembled,according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3C is a horizontal cross sectional view along plane A-A′ of thecooling apparatus of FIG. 3B, according to one embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 4A is a cross sectional view of a cooling apparatus and anelectronic component prior to assembly, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 4B is a cross sectional view of the cooling apparatus andelectronic component of FIG. 4A after assembly, according to oneembodiment.

FIG. 5A is a horizontal cross sectional view of a cooling apparatus,according to one embodiment of the invention

FIG. 5B is a horizontal cross sectional view of a cooling apparatus,according to one embodiment of the invention

FIG. 5C is a horizontal cross sectional view of a cooling apparatus,according to one embodiment of the invention

FIG. 6 shows a schematic representation of a conformable thermalinterface sleeve positioned to be installed into a heat conductingsleeve, according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic representation of a cooling apparatus thatincludes a thermal interface wedge or sleeve having guides foralignment, according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4B withthe addition of a latching element, according to one embodiment of theinvention.

In the Figures and the Detailed Description, like numbers refer to likeelements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Often heat must be removed from an electronic component and itsimmediate area in order for the component to maintain an operationaltemperature within desired limits. Failure to remove heat effectivelyresults in increased component temperatures, which in turn, may lead tothermal runaway conditions causing decreased performance and potentiallycatastrophic failure. Thermal management is the process of maintaining adesirable temperature in electronic devices and their surroundings.Several trends in the electronic industry have converged to increase theimportance of thermal management. The desire for faster and more denselypacked circuits has had a direct impact on the importance of thermalmanagement. First, heat production increases as device operatingfrequencies increase. Second, as more and more devices are packed into asingle chip, heat flux (Watts/cm²) increases, resulting in the need tomore aggressively remove heat from a given size chip or module. Thesehigher operating frequency and device density trends have combined tocreate applications where it is no longer desirable to remove heat frommodern devices solely by traditional air cooling methods, such as byusing air cooled heat sinks with vapor chambers. Such air coolingtechniques are inherently limited in their ability to extract heat froman electronic component with high power density. The need to coolcurrent and future high heat load, high heat flux electronic componentsand systems therefore mandates the development of aggressive thermalmanagement techniques using alternate cooling methods. The prior methodsmay limit access and serviceability of the cooled electronic componentsas they may either limit heat transfer due to limited contact with theelectronics, mechanically connect to the cooled electronic component, orenvelope it in such a way that access may be impeded without disassemblyof the cooling system. Traditional electronic cooling means may requiretime consuming operations for disassembly and reassembly of the coolingapparatus to allow access and serviceability of the electroniccomponent, embodiments disclosed below may have greatly reduceddifficulty and time in accessing and servicing the electroniccomponents.

Features illustrated in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques areomitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments of theinvention. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate anunderstanding of ways in which the embodiments may be practiced and tofurther enable those of skill in the art to practice the invention. Itis also to be understood that the descriptions of the embodiments areprovided by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scopeof this invention as claimed.

FIG. 1 is one embodiment of an electronic component 10 having amultiplicity of electronic devices 2 a through 2 h (collectivelyhereafter referred to as 2) which are mounted on a circuit board 30. Thecircuit board 30 has a connector 35. In various embodiments, the circuitboard 30 may be a printed circuit board (PCB), printed wiring board(PWB), etched wiring board, or other body for mounting and electricallyconnecting electronic devices. In various embodiments, the electronicdevice mounted to the circuit board 30 may include any of the following:microprocessors, capacitors, resistors, inductors, semi-conductorelements, integrated circuits, chip carriers, or any electric devicesdesigned or modified for mounting on a circuit board 30.

Connector 35 may be used to interface the electronic component 10 withother electronics, allowing for the transfer of information, and mayoptionally provide a conduit for electric power to the electroniccomponent 10. In one embodiment, the connector 35 may be a computer businterface connector, one example of which is a Peripheral ComponentInterconnect Express (PCIe) style edge connector. In another embodiment,the connector 35 may be a computer memory edge connector, communicationsocket, or a board-to-board connector. In another embodiment, theconnector 35 may be of an optical type. One embodiment of the electroniccomponent 10 may be a memory module. In other embodiments, thiselectronic component 10 may be a graphics card, network card, expansioncard, adaptor card, interface card, server component, server blades, orother electronic component. It is contemplated that additional forms ofconnector 35 or electronic component 10 may be employed and still remainwithin the scope and spirit of the presented invention.

In the illustrated embodiment, a proximal end 45 of the electroniccomponent 10 is the end with the connector 35. A distal end 40 of theelectronic component 10 is the side opposite proximal end 45. In variousembodiments, the distal end 40 of the electronic component 10 is the endof the component that may have force applied to it for installing theelectronic component 10 into an installed position.

In FIG. 2A, the electronic component 10 is oriented for installation inan exemplary receptacle 110 with an arrow 130 indicating the directionof insertion. FIG. 2B shows the same embodiment with the electroniccomponent 10 having been inserted in receptacle 110 and the latches 120being moved into a latched position. Here, the latches 120 snap intonotches 105 formed within the electronic component 10 to latch it intoplace with receptacle 110. Other embodiments of the receptacle 110 mayemploy alternative mechanisms to secure the electronic component 10 onceinstalled or no latching mechanism 120 may be used.

FIG. 3A is a side view schematic of one embodiment of a coolingapparatus 205 and is paired with FIG. 3B, a top view schematic of thesame embodiment, and FIG. 3C, a horizontal cross sectional view alongplane A-A′, in accordance with the present invention. The coolingapparatus 205 may include: a heat conducting wedge 225 a, a thermalchannel 220 a, and a manifold 230 a. The heat conducting wedge 225 a maybe adapted to embrace a conformable thermal interface sleeve 310 in aninstalled position (see FIGS. 4A, 4B). The conformable thermal interfacesleeve 310 may be adapted to embrace the electronic component 10 of FIG.1 while the electronic component 10 is in the installed position in thereceptacle 110. A second heat conducting wedge 225 b may be adapted toembrace the conformable thermal interface sleeve on a different sidewhen in the installed position as shown in FIG. 3B. The thermal channel220 a is shown adapted to contact the heat conducting wedge 225 a. Anequivalent thermal channel 220 b is shown adapted to contact the heatconducting wedge 225 b. In the embodiment shown, the thermal channels,220 a and 220 b, are disposed within the respective heat conductingwedges 225 a and 225 b. The thermal channels, 220 a and 220 b, may alsobe in contact with respective manifolds 230 a and 230 b. This may allowfor heat generated in the electronic component 10, when installed in thereceptacle 110 and embraced by the conformable thermal interface sleeve,to be transferred away from the electronic component 10 to the manifolds230 a and 230 b for dispersion.

In the illustrated example, the manifold 230 a is shown mounted to aplanar panel 240 using one or more pins 245. In various embodiments, theplanar panel 240 may be a motherboard, the inside of a computer case, orpart of a server housing. In other embodiments, the manifold 230 a maybe mounted outside of and independent of any housing or containment ofthe electronic component 10 it is designed to cool. The illustratedexample shows use of the set of pins 245 on a single side of themanifold 230 a for mounting. In other embodiments, the manifold 230 amay be mounted using screws, bolts, adhesives, or any mechanical meansreasonable for securing it to a location and it may be mounted on one ormore sides. These forms of mounting and installing are to be exemplaryonly and are not meant to limit the possible methods of mounting orinstallation of the manifold 230 a.

In the illustrated embodiment, the thermal channels 220 a and 220 b eachuse a single manifold 230 a and 230 b respectively. In otherembodiments, two or more thermal channels, such as 220 a and 220 b, mayuse a single manifold 230 jointly. The thermal channel 220 a is shown asa single solid member with one end press fit into the manifold 230 a andthe opposing end press fit into the heat conducting wedge 225 a. Inother embodiments, the thermal channel 220 a may be coupled to themanifold 230 a or heat conducting wedge 225 a by methods such asscrewing, clamping, solder, welding, gluing, or any other suitablemeans. In other embodiments of the invention, actual coupling of thethermal channel 220 a to either the heat conducting wedge 225 a or themanifold 230 a is not required. Contact allowing heat transfer betweenthe elements may be sufficient.

The manifolds 230 a and 230 b may accept the heat transferred throughthe thermal channels 220 a and 220 b and may dissipate this heat safelyaway from an electronic component 10 that generates the heat. Theillustrated embodiment of the manifold 230 is shown as a solid block. Inother embodiments, the manifold 230 may have multiple components andelements. In some embodiments, the manifold 230 may use finning toimprove heat dissipation. In another embodiment, the manifold 230 mayuse a fluid disposed within it to dissipate the heat.

The contact between elements may allow for the heat created by theelectronic component 10 to be transferred away from the electroniccomponent 10 and the surrounding area and may prevent failures or errorsfrom occurring within the electronic component 10. The combination ofelements may allow an embodiment of the invention to transfer the heatfrom the electronic component to the embracing conformable thermalinterface sleeve 310. The conformable thermal interface sleeve 310 maythen transfer the heat taken from the electronic component to thecontacting heat conducting wedge 225. The heat may then be transferredfrom the heat conducting wedge 225 to the manifold 230 by the thermalchannel 220 in contact with both.

FIG. 4A is a cross sectional view of the conformable thermal interfacesleeve 310, heat conducting wedges 225 with thermal channels 220disposed within each, and the electronic component 10 prior toinstallation according to one embodiment. In the illustrated embodiment,an arrow 315 indicates the location and direction of installation of theconformable thermal interface sleeve 310 to embrace the electroniccomponent 10. An arrow 320 indicating the location and direction ofinstallation of connectors 35 of the electronic component 10 intoreceptacles 110. FIG. 4B is a schematic view of the same embodimentafter assembly. The heat conducting wedges 225 may be dimensioned orpositioned to be offset from the receptacles 110, such that they makecontact with the conformable thermal interface sleeve 310 when embracingthe installed electronic component 10, but do not interfere withinsertion of the electronic component 10 into the receptacle 110. In oneembodiment, the thermal channel 220 may be located between two opposingsides of the heat conducting wedge 225 such that it may receive andtransfer heat from conformable thermal interface sleeves 310 installedon either side of the heat conducting wedge 225.

The greater the thermally conductive contact area between the twobodies, the greater the amount of heat that may be conducted betweenthem. The conformable thermal interface sleeves 310 may conform toelements on the electronic component 10, specifically devices 2. Thisability to conform around devices on the electronic component 10 mayprovide a larger contact area for heat conduction. The conformability ofthe conformable thermal interface sleeves 310 also enables it to adaptto different sizes and shapes of electronic components 10 that may beinstalled in the receptacle 110. This allows for upgrading or replacingof electronic components 10 over time without a concern for modificationor adjustment of the cooling apparatus 205. For example, when replacinga failed electronic device 10 the service technician need not firstremove or disassemble the cooling apparatus 205 in order to access andreplace electronic components 10.

The conformable thermal interface sleeve 310 may use a conformablethermal interface material to embrace the electronic component 10. Inone embodiment, the conformable thermal interface sleeve 310 may use, orbe formed from, a thermally conductive polymeric composite material. Oneexample material that may be used to form the conformable thermalinterface sleeve 310 is a Gap Pad VO®, by the Berquist Company ofChanhassen, Minn. It has a thermal conductivity of 0.8 W/m-K and aYoung's modulus, the measure of elasticity, of 100 kPa. These propertiesgive it both acceptable heat transfer capabilities and an ability toconform to the unevenness and changing topography of electroniccomponent 10. It is contemplated that other materials may be used forthe conformable thermal interface sleeve 310 and still remain within thescope and spirit of the present invention. The thermal conductivity ofany such material may be greater than 0.65 W/m-K, and have a Young'smodulus of less than 200 kPa. In various embodiments, the conformablethermal interface sleeve 310 may contain additional elements that mayadd rigidity or form to it. An example of this may be a metal shellencompassing the outside of the conformable thermal interface sleeve310. Such a shell may assist the conformable thermal interface sleeve310 in maintaining a specific shape. The shell may also improve theability of the conformable thermal interface sleeve 310 to embrace, orclamp, to the electronic component 10.

In one embodiment, the conformable thermal interface sleeve 310 may havetop width of W1 and a bottom width of W2. In embodiments where the topwidth W1 and bottom width W2 differ the conformable thermal interfacesleeve 310 may have angled surfaces 330 a and 330 b. In one embodiment,W1 is greater than W2. The angles of surfaces 330 a and 330 b may bedefined with respect to the plane of panel 240 and may be other than aright angle, e.g., 15 degrees. These angled surfaces, 330 a and 330 b,may be congruent with angled wedge surfaces 335 a and 335 b on the heatconducting wedges 225. The use of angled surfaces on the elements mayallow for easier assembly. The use of angled surfaces may also increasethe contact area between the conformable thermal interface sleeve 310and the heat conducting wedges 225. In various embodiments, the angledsurfaces 330 a and 330 b may differ as may the angled wedge surfaces 335a and 335 b. In various embodiments, no difference in top width of W1and a bottom width of W2 may occur.

In various embodiments, while the conformable thermal interface sleeve310 is designed to fit over or cover another part, it need not be in theprecise shape of a common sleeve, i.e., circular or tubular. Theconformable thermal interface sleeve 310 may be a piece of conformablethermal interface material having an interior portion that fits over,covers, or embraces multiple sides of the electronic component 10. Forexample, the conformable thermal interface sleeve 310 may wrap over theelectronic component 10 effectively embracing, or clamping it frommultiple sides. In one embodiment, the electronic component 10 may havean electronic component width E1. The inside surface of the conformablethermal interface sleeve 310 where it may embrace the electroniccomponent 10 may be referred to as contact surface 325. The contactsurface 325 may have an inside width I1. The inside width I1 may be lessthan the electronic component width E1. For example, the inside width I1may be 8 mm and the electronic component width E1 may be 10 mm. This mayresult in the material of the conformable thermal interface sleeve 310displacing around the electronic component 10. The displacement mayresult in improved contact area between the two along with tension inthe conformable thermal interface sleeve 310 for gripping the electroniccomponent 10.

In various embodiments, the contact surface 325 of the conformablethermal interface sleeve 310 may be sculpted so that it has a profilethat conforms to a configuration of an electronic component 10 it mayembrace. Various electronic components 10 may be configured with avariety of electronic devices 2 at a variety of different locations. Inaddition, the electronic devices 2 may have a variety of shapes andsizes. In one embodiment, the contact surface 325 may be sculpted tomatch a family of electronic components that may have a standard sizeand shape, for example a generic memory module. In another embodiment,the contact surface 325 may be sculpted to match a specific brand ortype of memory module. One skilled in the art will appreciate thevariety of factors that can affect the sculpting of the contact surface325. Sculpting of the contact surface may allow for improved heattransfer from the electronic component 10 that may improve productivity,efficiency, or life of the electronic component 10.

An advantage of the use of the conformable thermal interface sleeve 310and the heat conducting wedge 225 is that an electronic component 10 maybe installed or removed without disassembly of a cooling apparatus 205according to the principles of the present invention. For example, atechnician servicing an electronic device need not first remove acooling apparatus 205 that is used to remove heat from electroniccomponent 10 in order to access electronic component 10. The conformablethermal interface sleeve 310 need only be removed to access theelectronic component 10 for service. As further described below, acooling apparatus 205 according to present invention may include fluidwithin the heat conducting wedge 225, a thermal channel 220, or themanifold 230. Further, the fluid may flow between the various elementsthat may require secure coupling to prevent leaks. Traditionalelectronic cooling using fluids may require time consuming operationsfor disassembly and reassembly of the cooling apparatus to allow accessand serviceability of the electronic component 10. Further, suchtraditional designs may risk damaging any electronics in the vicinity ofthe installation location of the electronic component 10 by havingfluids being spilled on them. The use of a conformable thermal interfacesleeve 310 may eliminate the need for disassembly of the coolingapparatus 205 when installing or removing an electronic component, whichmay advantageously prevent an undesired introduction of fluid into anelectronic component environment. Moreover, known apparatus for coolingelectronic components are typically complex devices. Known apparatus maywrap around or may be physically engaged with an electronic component byretaining clips or other fasteners. A further advantage of a coolingapparatus according to the present invention may be improvedserviceability of a computer system in comparison with systems using aknown complex cooling apparatus.

FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 5C are horizontal cross sectional views of variousembodiments of the invention. These embodiments provide examples of thevariation that may occur in the combination of the heat conductingwedge, thermal channel, and manifold. One skilled in the art willrealize that these variations in design are not limited to the shownexamples and that various embodiments may also alter or combine elementsshown in the examples.

FIG. 5A is an example of a variation of the thermal channel 405 and theheat conducting wedge 404 for cooling apparatus 404. In the shownembodiment, the thermal channel 405 includes branches 403 that extendinto the heat conducting wedge 407. In various embodiments, the thermalchannel 405 may be coupled to the heat conducting wedge 404 or manifold408. In other embodiments, two or more of these elements may be combinedin manufacturing. For example, the thermal channel 405 and heatconducting wedge 407 may be a single molded piece.

In various embodiments, the cooling apparatus may use simple conductionto transfer heat away from the electronic component 10 to the manifold408. In other embodiments, the cooling apparatus 409 may also make useof convective heat transfer methods by using fluids flowing withinvarious elements of the cooling apparatus 409. FIG. 5B is an example ofa variation that may occur if fluid is used in the thermal transfer ofthe cooling apparatus 409. In this example, manifold 415 may have inlet412 and outlet 413 for fluid to be circulated through the coolingapparatus 409. The manifold 415, thermal channel 410, and the heatconducting wedge 411 may all have aligning hollowed out sections thatcreate a fluid channel 414. The fluid channel 414 may allow a fluid tobe circulated throughout the cooling apparatus 409. In variousembodiments, the fluid may be circulated through any combination of theelements. The fluid may be wholly contained within the cooling apparatus409 or it may be provided externally by a system that provides, and maycirculate, fluid to one or more cooling apparatus 409. In oneembodiment, the fluid may be circulated by a pumping system locatedwithin the manifold 415. In some embodiments, the fluid channel 414 maybe a heat pipe which uses a wick element and capillary pressure actionto transfer heat between sections of the fluid channel 414 and otherelements of the cooling apparatus 409. Other embodiments may userefrigeration effects such as boiling and condensation of fluids invarious sections to transfer the heat.

FIG. 5C is an example of a variation that has more than one manifold. Inone embodiment, a thermal channel 420 is in contact with two manifolds,421 and 424. In this example, manifold 421 has fluid inlet 422. Thefluid may flow through the fluid channel 425 starting in manifold 421and continuing into thermal channel 420, finally ending in manifold 424.Manifold 424 may have fluid outlet 423. The fluid and heat transferinvolved may be similar to examples mentioned previously. In variousembodiments, more than one manifold, such as 421 and 424, or thermalchannel 420 may be used to transfer heat away from the heat conductingwedge 419 so that the electronic component 10 may be kept at anappropriate temperature.

FIG. 6 is a schematic representation of one embodiment of the inventionwith a conformable thermal interface sleeve 505 positioned to beinstalled into a heat conducting sleeve 510. In this embodiment, theconformable thermal interface sleeve 505 has a slot 515 sculpted toembrace the electronic component 10. The slot may be aligned with thereceptacle 110, such that the embrace of the conformable thermalinterface sleeve to the electronic component does not interfere with theconnection between the electronic component 10 and the receptacle 110.The conformable thermal interface sleeve 505 may be shaped to beembraced by a heat conducting sleeve 510. The heat conducting sleeve mayhave thermal channel 520 adapted in contact with it and to provide apath for heat transfer away from the electronic component 10. The heatconducting sleeve 510 may be aligned so that when the conformablethermal interface sleeve 505 is fully embraced the slot 515 may alignproperly with the receptacle 110 for the electronic component 10. Invarious embodiments, the heat conducting sleeve 510 need not be circularor tubular. The conformable thermal interface sleeve 510 may be a one ormore pieces of heat conducting material that embrace multiple sides ofthe conformable thermal interface sleeve 505.

FIG. 7 is a schematic representation of the embodiment of FIG. 4A and 4Bmodified to include guides for alignment. The conformable thermalinterface sleeve 310 has ridges 605 added. In one embodiment, the ridges605 may be sculpted sections of the conformable thermal interfacematerial. In another embodiment, the ridges may be another type ofmaterial that is coupled with the conformable thermal interface sleeve310. The ridges 605 on the conformable thermal interface sleeve 310 maybe matched to grooves 610 on the heat conducting wedges 225. Thecombination of the grooves 610 and ridges 605 may create a guide forproper contact between the conformable thermal interface sleeve 310 andthe heat conducting wedges 225. In various embodiments, the grooves 610may be located on the conformable thermal interface sleeve 310 or theridges may be located on the heat conducting wedges 225. In variousembodiments, one or more ridge 605 and groove 610 combinations may beused. In other embodiments, the groove 610 and ridge 605 combinationsmay be used with a conformable thermal interface sleeve 505 and a heatconducting sleeve 510.

FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4B withthe addition of a latching element. The conformable thermal interfacematerial used in the conformable thermal interface sleeve 310 may havean elasticity to it that results in an internal counter force thatresists the conformity to electronic component 10 or the contact withthe heat conducting wedges 225. In various embodiments, this may beovercome by the force of gravity once installation of all elements hasoccurred. In other embodiments, a latching mechanism may be used tocounter these forces. In the example, a latching plate 710 may bepositioned to latch over the installed conformable thermal interfacesleeve 310. The latching plate 710 may rotate using hinge 715 such thatupon closing latching hook 720 may engage and latch around element 725.In various embodiments, a latching mechanism may be used with aconformable thermal interface sleeve 505 and a heat conducting sleeve510. In various embodiments, the latching mechanism may be connected tothe planar panel 240 or to other elements surrounding the coolingapparatus 205. In various embodiments, the latching mechanism may notuse a hinge 715. One skilled in the art will appreciate the variety offorms the latching mechanism may take. The use of such a latchingmechanism may improve the contact between the conformable thermalinterface sleeve 310 and the heat conducting wedge 225 so that increasedthermal transfer may occur.

While the disclosed subject matter has been described with reference toillustrative embodiments, this description is not intended to beconstrued in a limiting sense. Various modifications of the illustrativeembodiments, as well as other embodiments of the subject matter, whichare apparent to persons skilled in the art to which the disclosedsubject matter pertains are deemed to lie within the scope and spirit ofthe disclosed subject matter.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for conveying heat away from anelectronic component, the method comprising: installing a connector ofthe electronic component into a receptacle; and fitting a conformablethermal interface sleeve over the electronic component by inserting theelectronic component through an opening to an interior portion of theconformable thermal interface sleeve such that the interior portionembraces both a first side surface of the electronic component and asecond side surface of the electronic component, wherein, after theconformable thermal interface sleeve is fitted over the electroniccomponent and the electronic component is installed, heat generated bythe electronic component during use is conducted away from theelectronic component through the conformable thermal interface sleeve.2. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic component is a circuitboard having at least one memory module.
 3. The method of claim 1,wherein the interior portion of the conformable thermal interface sleeveincludes a first contact surface having a profile sculpted to conform toa configuration of the first side surface of the electronic component.4. The method of claim 1, wherein the conformable thermal interfacesleeve is a one-piece structure.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein amemory module extends outwardly from a portion of the first side surfaceof the electronic component, and wherein a first contact surface of theinterior portion of the conformable thermal interface sleeve elasticallyconforms around the memory module and embraces substantially the entirefirst side surface once the electronic component is inserted through theopening to the interior portion of the conformable thermal interfacesleeve.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the conformable thermalinterface sleeve is made from a polymeric composite material.
 7. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the conformable thermal interface sleeve ismade from a material having thermal conductivity of greater than 0.65W/m-K and a Young's modulus of less than 200 kPa.
 8. The method of claim1, wherein the interior portion of the thermal interface sleeve has awidth that is less than a width of the electronic component, and whereinthe interior portion of the thermal interface sleeve is displaced as theelectronic component is inserted through the opening.
 9. A method forremoving heat generated by an electronic component, wherein aconformable thermal interface sleeve is fitted over the electroniccomponent such that an interior portion of the conformable thermalinterface sleeve embraces both a first side surface of the electroniccomponent and a second side surface of the electronic component, themethod comprising: conducting the heat generated by the electroniccomponent, over which the conformable thermal interface sleeve isfitted, away from the electronic component through the conformablethermal interface sleeve.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein theelectronic component is a circuit board having at least one memorymodule.
 11. The method of claim 9, wherein the interior portion of theconformable thermal interface sleeve includes a first contact surfacehaving a profile sculpted to conform to a configuration of the firstside surface of the electronic component.
 12. The method of claim 9,wherein the conformable thermal interface sleeve is a one-piecestructure.
 13. The method of claim 9, wherein a memory module extendsoutwardly from a portion of the first side surface of the electroniccomponent, and wherein a first contact surface of the interior portionof the conformable thermal interface sleeve elastically conforms aroundthe memory module and embraces substantially the entire first sidesurface.
 14. The method of claim 9, wherein the conformable thermalinterface sleeve is made from a polymeric composite material.
 15. Themethod of claim 9, wherein the conformable thermal interface sleeve ismade from a material having thermal conductivity of greater than 0.65W/m-K and a Young's modulus of less than 200 kPa.